Hi Guys, just out of interest:

There was a QUILLOTA, ex BRAHMIN wrecked off Sunderland on 12 November 1901
Final voyage:
Captain at time of loss was Celestine Delapine who survived with five other crewmen, one of whom was called Yves Julon. The ship had been trading between South America and France, but on this voyage, had left Nantes in ballast on the 29th October 1901, bound for North Shields to pick up a cargo of coal.
Contemporary reports say that she picked up a tug on the morning of 12th as the weather got worse, but the the tow was cut because of the increasingly bad weather. The QUILLOTA was then forced to anchor using two anchors off the mouth of the Wear on the 12th November and rode the storm for much of the day. Her cables gave way and she was drifted in a south-easterly direction going aground off the end of Hendon Promenade. During this time, winds were raging at Force-10, east-northeast.
A number of crew were seen in the rigging. The Sunderland lifeboat crew wanted to launch, but because of the ferocious weather couldn’t get a tug to tow them out of the Wear. The ship was out of range of the Volunteer Lifebrigade rocket lines, at least one was fired, but that fell short.
The crew were either swept or jumped into the sea; some managed to make it ashore. Tragically part of the cliff collapsed as the sailors were trying to climb to safety burying between two and four of the crew (depending on which report you read) 1 sailor was killed in the cliff fall. Altogether sixteen crew, plus (or including) a North Sea pilot, were lost from this ship

QUILLOTA ran aground about 0100hrs, Boatswain Francois Ollivier and Captain Delapine from Saint Malo, were found at 0230hrs by the coastguard, between Tollbar Inn, Ryhope and Hendon Grange Hotel. They were taken to the Toll Bar Inn, but the captain was then taken to the Park Temperance Hotel, in Sunderland.
Petit the mate, was taken with another crewman who died, to Hendon Grange Hotel; they had both been buried by the cliff fall.
Also saved, was Oneseme (or Ovezeme) le Jarrice (or Jorrec) aged about 24yrs, he was housed at 77 (or 11?) Albany Terrace, Commercial Road in Ryhope; James Marman, who had been recently invalided home from South Africa, had found him and he also assisted in the rescue of the two crewmen from the cliff fall.
Francois Laignel and Yves Julon also survived.
An Inquest was held by Deputy Coroner Salkeld at Hendon Grange Hotel on the afternoon of Thursday 14 November into death of Jean Bordien, who was buried in the cliff fall. Out of the crew of twenty-two, six had survived, while the other sixteen, were presumed drowned.
Three witnesses attended from the crew names given as: Francois Le Gorec of Lannion, Francois Laigne of Dinante and Ive Marie Julon of Les Andrieux, stated that the QUILLOTA broke up about 2300hrs on Tuesday12th.
Petard and Bordien were discovered between 0700hrs and 0800hrs in the cliff fall of about 20-tons of earth.
The Coroner observed: “It was the hardest lines possible that deceased should have escaped the fury of the sea only to be killed by the treachery of the earth.” A verdict of Accidental Death was recorded.
Two bodies, believed to be from the QULLOTA were found washed ashore on the 14th November, one at Ryhope and the other only partially clothed, was found in sea, near Seaham Hall.

Headlines and report in the Echo on 13 November, read:
‘Wreck of French Ship’, ‘The QUILLOTA in ballast for the Tyne had been trading between South America and France was thought to have come to anchor and for a while she was stationary and would weather the gale. At times she was hidden from sight in huge depressions and masses of spray. By night the vessel was burning distress signals, but nothing could be done for she was beyond the reach of rockets and no small craft could live in that seething sea. From that time there seemed very little hope. She gradually drove in and touched bottom. The men had been all washed off the ship and only five of its crew of twenty-two, including the pilot had been saved.
C. Delepine Captain, the mate Parn and two seamen. Delepine and Ollivier Francole had reached terra firma some time after the vessel stranded, they were ill clad to withstand the rigours of such a night and wandered about the beach with cut and bleeding feet until they managed to climb up the embankment and on to the signal cable in the N.E.R., whence they were taken by the coastguard to the Toll Bar Inn. The manager John Lawther gave them food and warm drinks. The Captain was dressed in an oil skin, jacket, lining and shirt while the seaman had on trousers and lining but neither had on shoes or socks. Shortly after 1 o'clock another crewman who gave his name as Leinel Francole was found in Commercial Road with a lifebelt round him. He was soaking wet and taken by a man named Carter to Hendon Police Station. Here he was given hot coffee and Inspector Sanderson furbished him with clothes. He said he was from the QUILLOTA and was battling with angry waters for some considerable time before reaching shore.
The Vicinity of Ryhope was thickly strewn with wreckage, but the QUILLOTA had completely disappeared unless a spar that was just visible at low water really belonged to her. Close to this was a name board of the HARRIOT lost yesterday. Two men were found buried in sand/clay and were noticed when a hand waved to someone and they were dug out but one died later.

The surviving seaman called Leinel Francole gave one of the reporters an interview, and he said: “The vessel was going to the Tyne for a cargo of coal and got caught in the full force of the tempest so the captain dropped the two anchors but they dragged as the day went on and the ship gradually drifted towards the beach. The men huddled together in the poop and could not hear for the howling wind and they got drenched from the heavy rain and spray I got caught in a big wave and washed into the sea in my trousers and bare feet, but with a life-belt around me. I swam hard and scarcely knew where I was going and was thoroughly shattered when I was thrown onto the shore. After I got my breath, I succeeded in scrambling up the cliff, but no one was about so I walked towards the lights where I met a man in Commercial Road” - That was the man that took him to the police station.!

Apparently the South Side Volunteer Life Brigade mustered on Hendon Beach, but the ship was too far out, while the lifeboat crew were in favour of going out to help the crew but they needed a tug to tow them and the tug skipper refused, saying it would be suicidal in those conditions.

Sixteen people were lost altogether on the QUILLOTA, but that wind raged for almost three days, between the night of the 11th until the 14th November 1901 and at least 115 people were lost in the horrendous conditions down the English east coast.

Cheers Ron